Development of Innovative Heating and Cooling Systems Using Renewable Energy Sources for Non-Residential Buildings

Elisa Moretti, Emanuele Bonamente, Cinzia Buratti and Franco Cotana
Additional contact information
Elisa Moretti: CIRIAF—Interuniversity Centre of Research on Pollution by Physical Agents, University of Perugia, Via Duranti 63, Perugia 06125, Italy
Emanuele Bonamente: CRB—Biomass Research Centre, University of Perugia, Via Duranti 63, Perugia 06125, Italy
Cinzia Buratti: CRB—Biomass Research Centre, University of Perugia, Via Duranti 63, Perugia 06125, Italy
Franco Cotana: CRB—Biomass Research Centre, University of Perugia, Via Duranti 63, Perugia 06125, Italy

Energies, 2013, vol. 6, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Industrial and commercial areas are synonymous with high energy consumption, both for heating/cooling and electric power requirements, which are in general associated to a massive use of fossil fuels producing consequent greenhouse gas emissions. Two pilot systems, co-funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, have been created to upgrade the heating/cooling systems of two existing buildings on the largest industrial estate in Umbria, Italy. The upgrade was specifically designed to improve the system efficiency and to cover the overall energy which needs with renewable energy resources. In both cases a solar photovoltaic plant provides the required electric power. The first system features a geothermal heat pump with an innovative layout: a heat-storage water tank, buried just below ground level, allows a significant reduction of the geothermal unit size, hence requiring fewer and/or shorter boreholes (up to 60%–70%). In the other system a biomass boiler is coupled with an absorption chiller machine, controlling the indoor air temperature in both summer and winter. In this case, lower electricity consumption, if compared to an electric compression chiller, is obtained. The first results of the monitoring of summer cooling are presented and an evaluation of the performance of the two pilot systems is given.

Keywords: heating and cooling; system monitoring; renewable energy sources (RES); geothermal heat pumps; heat-storage systems; biomass boiler; absorption machine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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